Page 53 of Cursed Storm

EMBER

“Sit,” a soothing voice rang out, greeting us in the empty space.

We’d been led to a dimly-lit room with a table in the center and nothing more. It was the typical fortune teller setting, one I’d expected to see in a movie or cheesy TV show, but not here at the Black Hole.

A young woman, around my age, with flawless skin and stunning gray eyes, motioned for us to take a seat in the two chairs that awaited us. Her long, slender legs pulled her across the room in a graceful sweep, and she took her seat at the table, across from us.

If we weren’t here and she wasn’t in cahoots with the enemy—or what I assumed to be the enemy—then I might’ve flirted. After all, she was gorgeous and had an allure that was different than the other creatures there. Something about her was familiar, yet foreign.

Like an island that had yet to be discovered. On the surface, it had the same plants and life that other islands held, but when explored, the depths of that island were unlike any other. She held a mystique that I found both intriguing and dangerous—like I couldn’t decide if I wanted to push away or pull myself closer to her.

“Hold your palms out, please,” she said, her voice soft, putting me into a tranquil state. Maybe the intention was to ease those who sought their fortune, reassuring them of her kind demeanor. But to me, it only made me wary of her intentions.

I huffed a laugh, more sarcasm than humor, at the setup. I felt like we stepped into a booth at the carnival, and it was all too ludicrous, to the point that it was comical. Still, I obliged her orders and held my palms out.

She hovered over our hands with her fingers, so close I could almost feel her touch, but not quite. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head back and hummed in a monotone melody.

Her lips parted and she sucked in a deep, gasping breath that sounded like she was being choked, despite no one’s hands being wrapped around her neck. Was it unsettling? Sure, but it was nothing compared to what followed.

She pulled her head back up, and her eyes opened—white, milky, and glassy. Her perfectly sculpted face was now sunken and covered in wrinkles and hard lines as her lively appearance became a dull, gray existence, down to her silky white hair that had morphed into stringy, straw-like hair, like a scarecrow.

If I couldn’t make out her aura before, it was even more indecipherable now. It was as if her aura didn’t exist, which was impossible. Even the bleak nothingness from the deceased left something behind, albeit nothing vibrant or alive. But hers was… invisible? Gone? I wasn’t sure, which left me even more apprehensive.

For a few seconds that lasted for what felt like hours, I couldn’t breathe. I could barely sit up in my chair and had to lean against Emily for support. That change—her transformation—nearly sucked the very energy from within me.

Emotions. So many emotions within this woman, yet none of them were her own. It was as if she were holding onto the emotions of others—thousands of souls—taking in their very essence, be it a positive experience or a negative one.

When she spoke, those voices came forward, all speaking in unison from many accents, tones both masculine and feminine, delivering the same fortune all at once.

“The Moon and the Sun, both derived from one. A family tied. A family broken. Two sisters. One Witch. Seek the truth and you seek to cleanse a world washed in blood. But to end the reign of Red, you must restore the Luna and the Sol.”

The voices echoed, growing distant until they disappeared. Her head tilted back once more, and she sucked in another large breath, ragged and dry. When she brought her head back down, she faced us with the same youthful complexion that greeted us previously.

A smile curled at her lips, as if nothing strange had happened. Like she didn’t just transform from a young beauty into an old hag, and then back again. Like she didn’t speak with the voice of the cosmos.

The fortune teller’s eyes stayed focused on me. Not Emily, but me. I wasn’t sure why she was so fascinated with my presence. Was she attracted to me, or did she have other intentions? I stared right back, not even trying to hide my blatant intrigue.

I just couldn’t get over this familiar feeling, as if I’d been in her presence before. And the way she watched me… it was like she knew. But if she knew, why keep it a secret?

Before I could ask, she stood from her chair and backed into the shadows, disappearing. My eyes were fixed on the spot where she sat, and it took Emily nudging my arm to snap me back.

As promised, I returned to Raul to keep my end of the bargain. Her fortune might not have made much sense, but there was no getting out of this trade.

He brought me to a room, telling Emily to wait at the entrance if she wasn’t sharing her powers. I insisted she wait, ensuring I’d be out shortly. After all, there was no sense in us both sharing if we didn’t have to. Besides, Emily had no idea what power-sharing was—I could tell by the blank expression when he mentioned it.

So, the guard escorted her to the front while Raul pulled me further in the back, to his own personal chamber that was different than the room we’d met in earlier. The walls were lined in a rich, red velvety texture with black accents and a plush black carpet that, had I been in a regular apartment and not a vampire den for power-sharing, I would’ve loved to take off my shoes and feel it brush my toes.

In the center of the room was a large bed with four wooden posts and sheer, black curtains that hung from each post connecting to the next.

He closed the door, shutting out all sound, and now we were truly alone.

I shifted on my feet, not certain whether I should stand or sit. My eyes were glued to that bed, and I wondered what other trades they accepted. I’d heard power-sharing can be an erotic experience, so maybe that’s why he had the bed. Either way, I couldn’t take my eyes off it—luring me like a siren call.

This room made me feel uneasy. I didn’t have as much control here, and not just because of the location. The room had a certain enchantment that made me feel… different. The weird thing was that I wasn’t totally sure what I felt here, and that made me feel tense and unsettled because emotions were my expertise.

“Have you ever shared before?” Raul asked, his tone charming and friendly. He seemed nice, and if we were two strangers who met in the grocery store, I might actually believe that.

But I knew better.

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